1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is generally directed to juvenile products, and more particularly to top rail and latch constructions for playards.
2. Description of Related Art
Playards often have top rails with latching mechanisms. Each side and each end of a typical playard has a top rail. In many cases, each top rail has two rail sections pivotally connected to one another at the center of the top rail via a latching mechanism. The latching mechanism is configured to retain the top rail in a stiff, often linear condition for use. The latching mechanism is also configured to release the top rail to a loose condition for folding the playard. In the loose condition, each top rail can be folded, essentially in half, to allow compact folding of the playard.
Many playard designs have employed top rails that are generally straight or linear when in the stiff condition or in-use orientation. Some, more recent, playard designs have employed upwardly curved top rails at one or both ends of the playard. The curved rails provide a different aesthetic appearance to distinguish, for instance, a more upscale product platform.
A typical latching mechanism locks each top rail section independently and separately from one another. As a result, the top rail sections can pivot relative to the latching mechanism independent of one another. The top rail is then typically covered by fabric soft goods to hide or mask the underlying structures and components. When released, the latching mechanism usually moves downward, dropping the two rail sections at the center. When latched, the latching mechanism usually moves upward, raising the two rail sections until locking in the stiff condition.
Unfortunately, caregivers do not always receive visual confirmation that the top rail sections are fully latched because the top rails are covered with soft goods. One or both of the rail sections may fail at times to fully lock in place during set up or assembly. This condition is referred to herein as a false latch, or as “false latching.”
False latch conditions remain rather visible with most existing playards with linear or straight top rails. The weight of the latching mechanism and soft goods tend to pull down the latching mechanism, leaving the top rail in a bent configuration. The state of the latch is often thus readily discernable to a caregiver.
On some designs with curved top rails, however, a false latching condition may not be readily visible or noticeable. With a curved top rail, the outer end pivot point of each top rail section is positioned at a lower elevation than the inner pivot points at the latching mechanism when latched. Thus, the curvature and geometry of the rail sections may tend to retain the latching mechanism in the elevated, nearly locked, i.e. false latched, condition without one or both of the rail sections being fully locked and latched. The tautness of the soft goods between the outer pivot points and below the latching mechanism, in conjunction with the pivot geometry, may also assist in creating and masking the false latching condition.